Dad & 7 Kids Die in Home Tragedy That Could Have Happened to Anyone (VIDEO)

A father and his seven children have all perished in what police say was a massive and tragic case of carbon monoxide poisoning. Rodney Todd, Sr, and his seven children, ranging in age from 6 to 16, were all found dead inside of their Princess Anne, Maryland home. Police say the worried dad had bought a generator to keep his children warm after the utility company cut off his electricity for an unpaid bill.

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Lloyd Edwards, identified as Todd's stepfather, told the Associated Press that Todd had recently bought a generator after Delmarva Power (which would not comment) had cut off the power. When the generator ran out of fuel, carbon monoxide apparently consumed the entire family.

The children are identified as Cameron Todd, 13, and Zycheim Todd, 7; and girls Tynijuiza Todd, 15; Tykira Todd, 12; Tybree Todd, 10; Tyania Todd, 9; and Tybria Todd, 6. It's unclear if they also lived with their mom.

What is clear here is that this was a dad who was trying to do right by his kids -- when temps went down into the mid-20s last week, he clearly wanted to keep them warm. He also probably thought it would be cheaper to run a generator than continue to pay electric bills which, with seven kids, was probably fairly pricey. Perhaps he didn't realize that generators should always be kept outside.

Rodney Todd did have a job -- he worked at University of Maryland-Eastern Shore food services. How tragic that he couldn't afford an electric bill. It was his employer who alerted police that Todd hadn't shown up for work for a couple of days.

Most states have programs that help people who can't afford their electric bills (I've contributed to one run by Con Ed). Please contribute to these plans, and if you are in need of help, please don't be ashamed to ask for it. If you want to run a generator, please make sure it is stored in a garage or somewhere outside, and make sure it is always properly fueled. Also make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector in your home.